A weekend pick reminiscent of the good old days: Grindr (and other concerns)

Editorial

The premiere viewing of Grindr (and other conce rns) will feature Act 1: An Annotated Sing Through, where you can catch "unforgettably naughty scenes and arias" from the opera's first act, along with some delightful commentary on topics like opera development and queer hook-up culture. It's a combination of live and pre-recorded material.

A fresh Sunday Matinee out of Florida Grand Opera

Editorial

FGO's production from 2018 stars Ana María Martínez as Florencia, the Brazilian soprano journeying home via the Amazon river; amid the storms and cholera outbreaks, Florencia and her fellow passengers travel into a murkey combination of fantasy and reality.

Aria guides: Vecchia zimarra

How-To

This aria from the final act of La bohème is two pages of what's stunning about a great bass. Colline, the philosopher among his band of bohemians, is doing his part after Mimì shows up at his apartment, looking for his friend Rodolfo and dying of tuberculosis. He decides to pawn his coat to help pay for a doctor, and because he's a philosopher, the decision is a weighty one

Aria guides: Voi, che sapete

How-To

"Voi che sapete" is about puberty, becoming girl-crazy, and involuntary bodily functions that are fun but also difficult to hide. It's one of those Mozart arias that seems simple, but demands a lot in the details. With your teacher and coach, this Aria Guide can help Cherubinos-to-be get started:

From trash to Valhalla: what's on deck this weekend

Editorial

These concerts are designed to conform to CDC health guidelines, including pre-performance health screenings, partitions separating singers and accompanying musicians, and the wearing of masks where possible.

An open letter to the Canadian Opera Company

Op-Ed

This silence is the loudest thing you've ever produced. It is absolutely deafening. It has left an entire generation of Canadian artists in confusion and tears. Culture is ultimately a set of actions, not beliefs. Your silence therefore is an act representative of your culture.

Watch a George Crumb music video & meet the artists: Chordless launches new project

Review

Chordless has created an intriguing piece of art with this Crumb video, and it'll be a neat experience to view it, and then have an immediate face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) with the folks who made it.

Opera Atelier's Together/Apart a direct line to their great artists

Review

A total treat, though, was pianist Angela Hewitt's bit of Rameau. She was friendly and humble, and got right to the point with her camera angle, aimed at her energetic and nimble hands. Hewitt's contribution showed us how this whole thing can work well; it's solidified my hunch that finding the way to do this on-screen thing is uniquely difficult for opera singers.

Guys, stop telling people to #breakquarantine because of a crowded plane

Editorial

Opera people, hang in there. You're being troopers and innovators and generous people despite losing the thing you love and your ability to live comfortably. It's so awful, and my heart hurts for you guys. But when you're not being live opera singers, you're still being public figures who can set a good example and be good citizens.

Without the acoustic thrill, why are we still singing?

Editorial

But now, that last card has been revoked. Live isn't currently an option, which means neither is an acoustic sound experience. Opera companies are being generous (perhaps too generous?) with their online offerings, but none of it includes that singular experience of hearing an unamplified voice carrying over an unamplified orchestra.